Guinea Pig Diet!!!!!!?

Question

i know ive asked this already but i was wonderin wot food 2 give a guinea pig ive tried celery, cucumber, carrots(which they lv), ive also tried broccoli, pepper n grapes which there not keen on also i was jst wonderein ive read that certain lettuce cnt be given to guinea pigs but is little gems lettuce alright????

I feed them regular food but they need fresh fruit n veg in there diet

I feed them regular food with added vitamin C but they need fresh fruit n veg in there diet

Answer 1

Guinea pigs do love celery leaves, and some do love the satisfying crunch of the celery stalks. But there's a few things to keep in mind about celery:
**It causes bloating and gas in humans (when eaten frequently or in large quantities), so you can imagine what it does to a guinea pig's belly.
**All those strings that we peel off celery stalks so they don't get caught in our teeth or in our throats also wreak havoc on a guinea pig's teeth, throat, and intestinal tract.

Ideal diet includes:
-romaine or red leaf lettuce
-red and green bell pepper
-flat or curly parsley
-small amounts of kale, swiss chard, dandelion leaves, leafy green carrot tops, or leafy celery tops
-small amounts of FINELY chopped celery with strings removed, parsnips, or cucumber
-two baby carrots (per day)
-a piece of fruit (strawberries, apple, orange, melon)
- a sprig of herbs (oregano and basil) They really love basil.

Make sure you give your guinea pig adequate Vitamin C. Guinea pig pellets should have sufficient amounts of Vitamin C. Guinea pigs are not able to produce their own vitamin C like other animals, a peculiarity they share with humans and other primates. The daily requirement of vitamin C for a guinea pig is 35 mg.

Keep in mind:
Don't fall for commercial treats marketed for cavies (like yoghurt drops) which can even be detrimental to their health. Consuming these empty calories (many contain fat, sugars and even excess calcium) can result in decreased consumption of the basic foods they really need.
Do not feed mixes or treats with nuts, seeds, dried fruit and dyed pieces.
Do not feed meat.
Do not feed rabbit pellets (they do not contain Vitamin C and some may even include antibiotics toxic to cavies).
Do not feed dairy products.

Answer 2

The little gem lettuce is okay, but just don't feed it every day. Totally avoid iceberg lettuce. Romaine lettuce is a good choice if you do decide to feed it sometimes.
There are millions of wild food, and things from the home that you might not know of, or have thought of. Most guinea pigs like banana skins, corn cob husks, apple, runner/broad bean or pea pods, sprouts, parsley, cauliflower leaves, and other outsides of fruit and beg that you'd normally throw away.
There's lots of wild food too- I live in the Uk, try looking these up and finding them outside, they're quite common: hawthorn+ berries (pick the big spikes off first), lesser plantain (grows on hedges and kids like to pick it), dandelion leaves, fruit tree branches and leaves, ivy- leaved toad flax, grass, clover... the list goes on!

Answer 3

ICEBERG is the kind of lettuce they aren't supposed to have, though I don't know why, exactly.

They are supposed to eat specially-formulated guinea pig pellets, available at any pet food store, and usually at Wal-Mart. Also, timothy hay or alfalfa grass, for the nutrition it provides, and because it's fun for them to play with and munch. Fruits and veggies are very important, too, but these should always be in their bowl.

Guinea pigs need to have a Vitamin c Supplement, either a tablet or drops, for their water. They don't produce all the Vitamin C they need and if they develop a deficiency they get very sick and die!

It's EXTREMELY important for you to buy wood blocks at the pet store for them to chew on. Their teeth never stop growing, so they must be filed down or they can grow too long and become very painful.

I'm sure you already know about nail trimmings and the few hours of playtime outside the cage every day. I have three myself, and they seem really happy.

Hope this helps!

Answer 4

I saw this and thought Yaaaay Guinea pig question, but Courtney B has beaten me to it covered just about everything.

However! Yes Little gem and Iceburg is bad for guinea pigs and contains excessive quantities of nitrogen which is bad for guineapigs as it cause bloat which is severe can literally make the poor little thinks pop.

I notcied no one said Hay, and I'm surprised at that because all my guinea pigs have hay at all times and it is topped up twice daily. Without this essential roughage based diet, they will pluck each others fur as a substitute.

Don't go over the top with guinea pigs, I have kept and bred them since being six and at one point a few years ago, I had over two hundred roaming the back lawn. You can never have too many guinea pigs as far as I'm concerned. They like fresh grass, but not clippings from a compost heap or lawn mower as they may contain fumes and traces of oil.

The main diet should consist of a basic Guinea pig mix. Bare in mind that pellets are better nutrition but bore the living s**t out of them, and a mix is more enjoyable. As rightly pointed out, guinea pigs like humans, can not process their own Vit C and need a daily dose of it. Either in drops in the water, or from a veg or two.

As regards to not going over the top with them, cut out the mass fruit cocktails and all the exotic veg. I know you guys are American, but Guinea Pigs are South American, and feed on grasses and the occassional fallen fruit in the wild. Bell peppers, celery, grapes, coconut, its all too much and their little tummies can't handle such a vast array of different foods.

My guineas get access to grass for twelve hours a day, but they are weaned onto it from a young age. Then they get a mix of guinea pig mix, with Chinchilla pellets added which contain extra Vit C. In their shed, which they have free access to day time and are locked in at night, they have a thick straw bedding, with a foot depth layer of fresh Meadow hay, which considering they get half a bale twice a day between all 27, they still get through 7 bales a week.
Fresh food wise, they get horse carrots, Cabbage, swede, turnip and carrot tops, and the highest known Vit C based veg of all, is the much misunderstood Cauliflower leaf. Just the leafs and stem, not the actual head.

I have had guinea pigs which have lived to be 12 year old, fair enough they were pretty well out by that time but I have only had two guinea pigs in all this time that were ill, out of thousands, and only one has died before the end of its first year. That said this is the Uk, what I do is what I know, people treat animals differently wherever they are.

Answer 5

Courtney B. has the best advice. Fruits should be fed sparingly, because of the high sugar content. For veggies; think dark leafy green, and think variety. Lettuces other than iceberg are just fine. Cilantro, kale, parsley, turnip greens, endive, spinach....also all fine. Bell peppers are high in Vitamim C and many pigs love them.

To address what another wrote above:

*Guinea pigs need to have a Vitamin c Supplement, either a tablet or drops, for their water. They don't produce all the Vitamin C they need and if they develop a deficiency they get very sick and die!
It's EXTREMELY important for you to buy wood blocks at the pet store for them to chew on. Their teeth never stop growing, so they must be filed down or they can grow too long and become very painful.*

It is NOT advisable to put vitamin drops in water. They get all they need from fruit and veggies, and if you want to give them supplements get them plain Vit. C from a health store and give it to them via eyedropper or needleless syringe. Drops in water break down and can make the water taste bad, plus you never know exactly how much the pig is getting.

As for the wood blocks, they are ok to get but not necessary. To keep a pig's teeth worn down, they need a constant supply of timothy or grass hay. Providing this is one of the most important things you can do for your guineas.

Answer 6

my guinea pig also enjoys chicory, fresh dwarf beans, spring greens, cauli, carrot top leaves (go down a treat), dandelions and fresh grass (all washed of course) and apples, all in moderation. i tend to lay off lettuce and spicy stuff i've been told it's not good for their digestion and can cause the runs! not pleasant for them or us! In the morning I give a bowl of dried food for guinea pigs, you can get this from any pet store; always have fresh hay available for them to eat and later in the day I give a selection of veg/fruit, it's important to give them plenty of vitamin E in their diet, and maybe a salt block for knawing. you can buy vitamin E drops to put in their water bowl/feeder too. Again this is available from any pet store. Hope this has helped.

Answer 7

Courtney B gave a brilliant answer, but i just want to add that you should be careful with apples - some guinea pigs have weak membranes in their lips, and the acid in the apples can cause their lips to become sore and scabby. feed them small chopped up bits of apple, with the seeds removed.

the lettuce they cannot eat is iceberg lettuce. guinea pigs also really enjoy corn cobs - it is very good for their teeth. and our guinea pigs love green beans and baby corn. you can give them small amounts of fruit and carrots, but not much as they contain a lot of sugar. guinea pigs also like tomatoes, though they are quite watery, so i wouldn't feed them to them that often. you can feed cabbage and broccoli to them, but they can cause gas, which can cause bloat, which can be fatal, so only feed them VERY small amounts of it.

have fun with your guinea babies!

Answer 8

They have many brands of Guinea pig food with dried grains and vegetables and they are just fine. But you can give them Alfalfa but only in small quantities other wise it will make them fat. Like us they cannot produce there own Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C).

Answer 9

fruit grows on woods or vines and fresh vegetables grow in the earth.

Answer 10

My cousin asked me to watch her guinea pig when she went on vacation. I was feeding it lettuce the whole weekend and when she came back she seen me and flipped out. OMG dont feed it that it will die. Opps. But it didnt die :-)